Cinco Anal Beads from b-Vibe

I was asked to try out b-Vibe’s newest vibrating anal toy, Cinco Anal Beads, and I couldn’t have been more excited. I’m already a long-time fan of the company, whose Rimming Butt Plug and vibrating Trio Plug were early favorites. I reviewed the weighted Snug Plug 2 for Peepshow Toys (loved it!) as well as the smaller Rimming Plug Petite, which I thought was even better than the original. And now: Cinco Anal Beads, a set of five silicone balls, each one larger than the last. What makes the Cinco so special? The three larger balls each house a vibrator. That’s right: three vibrators are built into this thing. And you can even run it with a wireless remote control.

Like every other b-Vibe product I have tried, the Cinco will impress you as soon as you open the package. Nestled in a flip-open box, you’ll see the 8.2-inch string of silicone beads and the battery-operated hand remote tucked into a clear molded shell. The box is nice enough to store your new Cinco beads, but b-Vibe has thoughtfully included a padded zippered case that will hold the beads, the remote, and the charger. Also included is a comprehensive instruction manual – printed in English, German, Spanish, French, Dutch, Italian, and Russian – and b-Vibe’s “Guide to Anal Play,” a little booklet that offers tips on everything from anal anatomy and prepping, to lubrication and clean up that’s a quick primer for anal beginners.

Right out of the box you notice how nicely made the Cinco is. It has a surprisingly firm feel to it. Typically, anal beads or balls are very flexible, especially the ones that are strung up on a cord. The Cinco beads almost have a butt plug feel them them, with only small gaps between each bead. The string as a whole does have some bend to it, but it will also stand completely upright too, so it’s only going to bend if you want it to. Each of the five silicone beads has a nice solid feel, but will give slightly if you press hard enough. The insertable length of the bead strand measures about 7.5 inches. b-Vibe touts this toy as “the perfect anal beads for experienced anal play fans,” but note the beads start out fairly small and gradually increase in size with each successive bead, so I think this is also pretty perfect for first timers who are looking for a toy they can ease into. It definitely allows you to start small and expand your experience at your own pace. Here’s a size chart from b-Vibe that shows the toy’s different dimensions:

There’s only about a quarter of an inch between each bead, but the neck – the portion between the last bead and the base – is about an inch long, which should allow your hole to close up around the stem once you’ve worked the final bead inside. The base is slightly curved, firm, and not so wide as to cause discomfort when the Cinco is totally inserted and the base is wedged between your cheeks. On the bottom of the toy is a magnetic charging port and a button that controls the vibrators, but I’ll get to that fun feature a little later on. As excited as I was to try the vibrator, I wanted to play around the first time without it, just to see how the Cinco worked as a non-vibrating set of anal beads.

Before using your beads, make sure to clean them with soap and hot water before (and after) each use. The Cinco is splash-proof, which makes cleaning a lot easier. b-Vibe recommends a water-based lubricant, and I recommend Sliquid’s Sassy. It’s thick and a much more natural lube than many and tends to work great with silicone anal toys. I actually lubed the entire strand of beads ahead of time, but you can easily lube each one as you go. It’s always better to add more lube if you need it, especially if the beads aren’t popping in as comfortably as you’d like. I was able to insert the first four beads pretty effortlessly, and the sensations on my hole were just the way I like it when I’m playing with a set of anal beads. A nice popping sensation, especially as the balls grew larger. The firmness of the toy and the close spacing of the beads almost makes it seem as if you’re using a rippled butt plug or anal probe, which makes thrusting the Cinco a lot of fun. After inserting the first four beads, the fifth one was a bit of a struggle for me, because the tip of the toy had come to rest in my P-spot area and it wasn’t bending quite right, which meant every time I tried to push in the last bead, I was feeling some incredibly intense sensations on my prostate. This actually felt so amazing that I didn’t even want to push the Cinco beyond this spot, so I just kept twitching that last (and biggest) bead against my hole, instead of pushing it inside. Now, I still hadn’t even turned on the vibrator(s) inside the toy and already the Cinco beads had me losing control. The closest thing I can compare it to is getting a prostate massage from a very talented finger. If you enjoy that, you’re going to love these beads, vibrations or no vibrations. I finished my first session without using the vibe and with that last ball still not inserted. And already I was looking forward to the next time I could use the Cinco.

The following night I was at it again, and decided even if I didn’t work that fifth bead in, I was going to at least try the Cinco with the vibrations turned on. In fact, I clicked on the motors before even inserting the first bead, just to see how it changed the sensations during penetration. Like every b-Vibe sex toy I have used (with the exception of the Snug Plug, which is embedded with heavy metal balls), the Cinco is equipped with a powerful vibrator. There isn’t a way to use just one (or two) of the three vibrators; once you turn this thing on, all three rev to life, so even on its lowest setting, you’re getting some intense sensations. The first two beads are totally solid, but the vibrations easily travel into the tip of the toy. As pleasurable as it was to insert the beads when they weren’t vibrating, things feel even better when they are. Pressing the first bead against your hole will make it tickle and quiver, and the sensations only intensify the deeper you go. Once the first two beads are inside, the last three deliver even more of a jolt, since the motors are encased inside these.

There’s always a bit of a learning curve when a sex toy has multiple speeds and a variety of vibration patterns, especially if there’s a remote involved. The Cinco controls were actually pretty straightforward, so I was able to play around with the different settings without too much trouble. To use the vibration mode, simply click the button on the base of the toy. A light will come on. Click it again and the beads will start to vibrate. By default, the first setting is steady vibrations. Each click of the button will cycle the toy through it’s 15 (yes, that’s right!) different patterns. Rather than describe them all, here’s a graphic from inside the manual:

In short, the longer pulses feel deliciously ticklish and the short bursts are intense and – if you have the beads inserted so you’ve got them pressed into your P-spot – will make it feel like something is tapping on your prostate. Absolutely incredible! Once you’ve decided on a steady vibe or pattern, you can increase or decrease the intensity using the hand-held remote. The Up buttons cycles through the patterns while a Left and Right button will alter the speed of the vibrator. There are six different settings for vibration intensity, so you can see how versatile the Cinco’s vibrator is. If you need to halt the vibrations suddenly, a quick tap on the center remote button (or a long hold on the button on the base of the toy) will silence the motors.

The Cinco’s lithium ion battery will run for about an hour on a full charge, an impressive feat given how powerful the output is. To charge your Cinco, simply insert the charging cord into any USB port and click the round magnetic end of the cable to the base of your toy. The LED light will pulse as it’s charging and a solid light means it’s ready to go. b-Vibe indicates a full charge takes about two hours. If the light on your beads starts to flash rapidly, that means you’re running low on power and a charge is needed.

Five tapered beads and three powerful motors

The b-Vibe Cinco is hands down the most versatile set of anal beads I’ve ever tried. The toy is sturdy enough for thrusting, yet the rounded beads work perfectly for hole play. While flexible, the Cinco firmness is just right for amazing prostate stimulation. The impressive vibrator (and all it’s speeds and patterns) aside, any anal toy that makes my prostate feel this good deserves a top rating. I did end up working all five beads inside and what a nice feeling, but I have to recommend this configuration: leave that last bead outside and pressed up against your hole. For me, I was squirming around from the pressure on my prostate while the vibrators inside the fourth and fifth beads were teasing my hole from either side. Mind-blowing! And I haven’t even mentioned this fun part about anal beads: when you’re finally ready to unload and as you feel your orgasm approaching, slowly begin to withdraw the beads from your hole. It’s a satisfying sensation that few sex toys will give you. When you mix in some intense vibrations, you might just have one of the best climaxes ever. And be sure to try the Cinco during partner play. Whether you want it buzzing inside your during oral sex, or jolting your prostate while you fuck, the pleasure can only be intensified. Allowing your partner to tease your hole with the Cinco’s beads makes for great foreplay and handing over the remote so they can control the vibrations adds even more fun to hot sex. The Cinco makes a great travel toy, too. Not only do you get the aforementioned slim case to tuck the beads, the remote and the charger in, but b-Vibe has given the toy a travel lock, so the vibrator won’t kick on accidentally while you’re on the go.

Any drawbacks to the Cinco? The price is a little steep, as it is on most luxury vibrating toys, but the b-Vibe Cinco beads are so well made and will bring you pleasure again and again, so this is definitely a sex toy to splurge on. The only other quibble I had with the toy was the button on the base. I like to insert an anal toy all the way in and then manually put pressure on the base to work it even deeper into my prostate. While this method works great with the Cinco beads, the location of the power button on the base means that I inadvertently kept turning the vibrator off or changing the vibe pattern when I was pressing on the base. Once I realized I could straddle the button and apply pressure on either end instead, the issue was resolved. It’s not even a complaint, really, just something to consider when using your Cinco.

Do I recommend the Cinco beads? Definitely! I’ve already added them to my All Male Sex Toy Favorites and hope they become your new favorite toy too. What’s not to like? High quality workmanship, the perfect size and shape for hole popping, deep penetration with intense prostate massage, and a powerful array of vibrations that will blow you away. The b-Vibe Cinco anal beads are available from Peepshow Toys. My thanks to Peepshow for arranging this product for review. And many thanks to b-Vibe for letting me try them and for making such top notch body-safe products! Now go get ’em: